50's Housewife for a year?

Maybe I'm just not seeing it now, but someone on here was a 50's housewife for a whole year and blogged about it... I never got a chance to look at the blog, but I'm really interested. I can't seem to find the link now... Who was that lucky gal? And does anyone have the link? Thanks!

I'd be very interested in reading this blog as well! This is the first time I'm hearing about it and it sounds really neat. Hopefully someone has that link!

This is (was) it.
http://www.mydecadeyear.blogspot.com/

Awesome thank you!

Was it you that did it? Did you do it for fun or for some kind of show or something? Haha I guess I'll find out by reading it... but Thank you!

No. That wasn't mine. I did the 50s transvestite housewife for a year. It didn't work out.

haha my bad. I figured since it was the beauty section you were a girl lol

I believe Marzipan was and is still living the life of a 50s housewife for a year.
http://www.my50syear.blogspot.com/

I check it on from time to time. I really enjoy it, and I applaud her for the social experimentation. I could never pull it off, that's for sure.

First she changed it from 50's to a decade over a year. I think it was just too much strain on her personal life and she had to drop the project. Perfectly understandable under the circumstances. She still gave it a great go though!

Cricket said:

I believe Marzipan was and is still living the life of a 50s housewife for a year.
http://www.my50syear.blogspot.com/

I check it on from time to time. I really enjoy it, and I applaud her for the social experimentation. I could never pull it off, that's for sure.

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This isn't Marzipan....someone else took over the domain name, and they are doing the same 50s year thang. Still cool, though.

Feraud said:

This is (was) it.
http://www.mydecadeyear.blogspot.com/

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I honestly would have rather read that.

I would love to do something like this too!!

Living 'the lifestyle' for a year (or more?)...Could YOU?

Who (guys or gals) would be able to 'live' ...'the life' of an era (ie: 30's/40's/50's) like this girl has, for a whole year?

What things would you miss giving up?
What sacrifices would you be making?
How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times).
Where do you draw the line? (ie: Dental/Doctor appointments; Supermarket shopping; Modern Car; Modern job??)

What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...?
(This girl made sacrifices for her experiment and it was 'others' who wouldn't compromise that seemed to jeorpardise it. So could YOU hack it?).

Be interesting to know (I'm going to give it some thought now)

If I tried it, I would choose 50's.

What things would you miss giving up? Internet for sure. Modern movies. If I took it this far, modern feminine products and birth control. If I was going for typical 50s, I would miss modern cooking techniques (low fat/more health conscious).

What sacrifices would you be making?
How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times). I think not eating out at our favorite restaurants would be frustrating for family and friends. I wonder if it would be all right as long as you ordered something that would have reasonably been available? Probably not. Also not going to modern movies might be tricky since we usually go quite frequently. However there are plenty of golden era movie theaters that play classic movies so I suppose that would be nice.

Where do you draw the line? Dental appointments for sure. As far as supermarket shopping, I would visit the supermarket but refrain from purchasing anything that would not be available in the 50s. I wouldn't have the money to buy a classic car, but if I could I certainly would. As far as my job, I already have a suitable career (teacher) but I would need to make allowances for modern technology at work (email is essential, and we use white boards rather than chalk boards). I currently use PowerPoint for presenting lessons every day but I guess I could give that up. Photo copying wasn't really available though so I'm not sure how I could get around that.

What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...? That's a good question. I've been considering that as I answered the above questions. I guess the answer is that I would go as far as possible without sacrificing: my health (eating large amounts of fat/sodium, modern dental techniques), or my financial well being (if I can't afford a vintage car, etc.). I'm sure my husband would do well with it since he's very interested in the 50s. I think the food and the possible costs involved would be the only downfalls for him.

Who (guys or gals) would be able to 'live' ...'the life' of an era (ie: 30's/40's/50's) like this girl has, for a whole year?

Not I. As much as I like some aspects of the "good old days" I couldn't go back. But I'll answer these questions because I'd rather do this than sift through my receipts for the tax guy.


What things would you miss giving up? What sacrifices would you be making?

I like my contact lenses. I like the technology for thinner eyeglass lenses.

I'm thoroughly addicted to the internet. A local store doesn't have what I want? I go online and get it...probably for cheaper. I want to hear a particular band/singer/etc? Just go on Amazon or Youtube and get a listen. Then buy a song for 99 cents if I'm so inclined. I keep in contact with many a friend through Facebook and such.

There's a lot of my music I won't give up. Right now I'm listening to "Million Miles Away" by the Plimsouls. Love some 70's/80's music as much as Gene Krupa.

And I LOVE having a laptop computer playing my DVD's of old movies while I work. Speaking of work, I work from home. Which I wouldn't be able to do if I lived "vintage". I use the computer to talk to my bosses as well as ftp work back and forth.

I'm now really accustomed to having a cell phone. The husband and I text to each other throughout the day.

If I couldn't jog or skate without my mp3 player, I'd get extremely bored with exercise.


How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times).

The husband and I have a pretty deep sushi habit. I imagine if we lived "vintage" we wouldn't be able to indulge ourselves on that count. And the aforementioned computer/internet thing. He's as addicted as me on that count.

On the other hand, I'm quite sure he'd love it if I cooked more. He's on a job right now that feeds him, but when that ends in a couple of months, I'm thinking about throwing in more cooking, if I can find things that are tasty and not fattening.

Where do you draw the line? (ie: Dental/Doctor appointments; Supermarket shopping; Modern Car; Modern job??)

Interesting on bringing up supermarket shopping...

Lately I've been trying to avoid the supermarket as much as possible. I just about had a coronary when I went into a supermarket a couple of months ago and wanted to buy whole garlic...and it was from China. NO WAY. I also saw apple juice made from concentrate from apples from China. I dunno, I think the US has more than enough resources to feed its own without having to go to another continent for the same food that's grown here. I also don't see how it's cheaper to import the same stuff from thousands of miles away compared to maybe a couple hundred, depending on the crop.

So I've been trying to buy as much fresh food as possible from the local farmers markets in my area. I'm lucky to be in California where our biggest industry is agriculture, so there's fresh food to be had by local growers.

When I do that, I take a bicycle instead of a car. Saves gas money and a lot of hassle on my part looking for a parking space. Also, I do less "impulse buying" because I only have a limited amount of basket space to carry goodies in.

I also have a theory that women generally were more thin in earlier times because they tended to wear some sort of foundation/girdle/whatnot every day. It's harder to eat as much as we do today if we have to wiggle into a girdle afterwards! So just for giggles I bought a girdle-type thingy to wear around the house...already I'm more aware of my posture(traditionally horrible)and I'm definitely more aware of when I get up to snack.

I have a modern car(PT Cruiser, at least it looks kinda vintage), but I try to drive as little as possible.


What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...?

With the latest economic woes, I think it'll behoove more people to look back and think about how some things used to be done to save money and live better at the same time. I know there's a lot of people on this site that are already thinking that way, which is great. I hope more pick up on it.

RD

I was raised in a traditional household, so for me I am already in that role of the 40/50's house wife.

For me I would find it hard to give up T.V,, but I guess you could tweak it to only take in 1 hour a day.

Not using things that were not around in the 40/50's well I don't have a dishwasher, I hardly use my microwave, only use my clothes dryer when my drying racks are full in winter and I use my clothes line for the rest of the year. I drive a modern car, but we do have a 1964 mini and a 1972 mini. I do not think I could drive a vintage car because I would not be able park it and some of them do not come with baby bolts ( so that you can put in a child seat and have it anchored).
I rarely use my mobile, I only use it for the odd sms or if my DH rings me when he is down the street ( it is free).

What I could not live without well that would be the internet, I do not spend hours on here but the fact that I can find information easily, contact people who I have not spoken to for ages and talk to people who I have never met on Fedora loung and Retro house wife forums.

PADDY said:

Who (guys or gals) would be able to 'live' ...'the life' of an era (ie: 30's/40's/50's) like this girl has, for a whole year?

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First, let's see what such a lifestyle might be like:

Living for a year in the 30s...
Housework: Didn't a lot of middle class women have maids? Can I have one, too?
Food--supermarkets are about the only place around here to buy food. Home-grown is great, but I can't keep chickens here and the growing season for vegetables is about four months.
Clothes--I don't sew, but I could buy vintage inspired clothes from catalogs.
Entertainment--I'd be happy to give up Netflix and see Garbo at the Gothic down the street, but the Gothic doesn't play Garbo anymore. It's all concerts for kids in black t-shirts. There are always swing dances and classical music concerts, though.
Exercise: I'd have to have a different program; probably not many women were lifting weights in the 30s. But my Charleston aerobic workout would fit in.
Job: I have a good job (but not a vintage one) at a solid CPA firm. A single, self-sufficient woman in the 30s would NOT give it up.
Hobbies: my main hobbies are dancing and gardening. No need for changes there.
Communication: I'd have to write letters to my best friend; I'm sure long distance rates were horrific in the 30s. (But I can still come to the FL, can't I?) There's no cell phone for me to give up.
Car: An old car would fit better in my garage, but I'd rather keep the one I have.

PADDY said:

What things would you miss giving up?

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Netflix!

PADDY said:

What sacrifices would you be making?

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TV, long distance calls. I'd have to create a different fitness program. But then, I could probably do without protein powder, so that's even.

PADDY said:

How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times).

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I live alone, and I'm not very modern anyway, so, not much impact.

PADDY said:

Where do you draw the line? (ie: Dental/Doctor appointments; Supermarket shopping; Modern Car; Modern job??)

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I like being ulcer-free, so my modern medicine stays. And I wouldn't wear a girdle. As for shopping, my car, my job--those would remain. I wouldn't ask anybody to accommodate me (e.g., refusing to watch cable TV at someone else's house and insisting on a game of cards instead).

PADDY said:

What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...?

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Who knows--maybe I will try this for a month.

o, wow

someone remembers me!

I had to stop the blog as my husband was seriously going mental and I just had no time for my child. I was getting a little freaked out by the readers who were really criticizing what I was doing and I think the whole thing was making me feel really vulnerable. I was getting a lot of grief from family as well as friends (and even strangers!) so I just decided to save my sanity and quit.

I ended up doing it for 100 days and while I wouldn't do it again, I'm glad I did.

PADDY said:

Who (guys or gals) would be able to 'live' ...'the life' of an era (ie: 30's/40's/50's) like this girl has, for a whole year?

What things would you miss giving up?
What sacrifices would you be making?
How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times).
Where do you draw the line? (ie: Dental/Doctor appointments; Supermarket shopping; Modern Car; Modern job??)

What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...?
(This girl made sacrifices for her experiment and it was 'others' who wouldn't compromise that seemed to jeorpardise it. So could YOU hack it?).

Be interesting to know (I'm going to give it some thought now)

Click to expand...

Since I already try to live like it's the 40s/50s I'm not sure, but let's see....

What things would you miss giving up? Nothing I can think of. I would only use the computer for research, if that's allowed. The only other thing I use it for is shopping, but I can do that around town. Although I would have to buy more vintage clothes before I started since I can't sew with a machine. Although I could learn if someone would teach me. I would also need to buy more records and have our phonograph in working order again, so I wouldn't have to listen to my 20s-40s music online.

What sacrifices would you be making? Personally I wouldn't be. I don't have an Ipod, a cellphone, I don't use facebook, we don't have cable and I only watch TV for the morning news and don't turn it on again until hubby wants to watch something before bed.

How hard would it be on family/friends/partners? (it will impact on them too at times). This is the thing that stops me from actually doing it full-bore. My daughter already has slight issues with our lifestyle, because we're so different from her friends parents and although my husband has enjoyed it, he always says that he doesn't want to LIVE in the 40s, just take the best parts of it an incorporate it into our lives.

Where do you draw the line? (ie: Dental/Doctor appointments; Supermarket shopping; Modern Car; Modern job??) Dental for sure, but I have a 51 Chevy truck and I don't have a job, so no problem there.

What would YOU be prepared to do and HOW FAR would you go...? For a year now I've been baking my own bread, but I've always made desserts and meals from scratch. I use vintage recipe cleaning products too, so other than still wearing my soft contact lenses and using feminine products, it wouldn't be a problem.

Oh and sadly we can't have chickens here, but one day I plan to

So I guess I would if the family would be okay with it, but since they're not, I do as much as I can get away with

I am one of those people who thoroughly enjoy living in the 21st Century! I love my laptop, mobile, being nosy on facebook, the convenience of the supermarket, having the mobility of modern times (I travel a lot) etc. One thing I would enjoy and sometimes long for, is the "family time" of the 50s. I complain a lot to my fiance that we watch too much TV! I didn't watch that much TV before I met him, but he loves it.

Another reason I couldn't live in the 50s - I'm not a housewife and I'd never want to be. I make no judgements about women who want to stay at home, it's their choice, it's just not for me. I hate housework and I suck at cooking! My fiance is a much better cook, and we have already decided that when we have kids in 2-3 years from now, he will be a stay-at-home dad. Because I will earn more than him and because being a daddy and playing with our kids all day is his ultimate dream. We'd make quite an unusual 50s family! and I like that! It's all about choice.

I like to think that I could live witout my phone but really 749 text messages last month says to me otherwise. Also I can't be a housewife because I don't have a husband or even boyfriend!
In my previous relationship I didn't work for a while and I decided to do my bit by being thrifty. I enojyed shopping at the local bakery and green grocer and avoiding the supermarket as much as I could. It works out much cheaper than buying convenience food. He drew the line at deviled kidney though.